Building Foundations – Leadership Development at Moat

Moat, a housing organisation with over 350 employees, wanted to evolve the way they approached the development of future leaders within their business, by including those in junior roles and those just starting to consider their potential for leadership.

Background

Moat, a housing organisation with over 350 employees, wanted to evolve the way they approached the development of future leaders within their business

A not-for-profit organisation, Moat is a housing association supporting those living in the South East of England to access affordable, high quality accommodation. They employ over 350 people and due to the broad spectrum of roles within the organisation, being able to offer a diverse and flexible L&D programme is essential to ensure their employees, and the business as a whole, are able to function to a high level. As holders of The Investors in People Award, people development opportunities are one of the things they prioritise highly.

The Problem

Moat, a housing organisation with over 350 employees, wanted to evolve the way they approached the development of future leaders within their business

Despite having a well-established L&D programme for their staff, Moat were keen to develop the culture within the organisation and provide a clear progression path and ownership for staff to drive their own learning journey. One of the areas identified as a priority was how to support high potential individuals in their career development. Moat acknowledged that while there were plenty of L&D programmes aimed at developing people who are already managers, they were potentially neglecting the development of employees at the start of that journey. They were aware that there may be highly talented individuals who were keen to move forward, but perhaps felt unsure of how to do so. The organisation were concerned that unless that talent was better nurtured, there was a risk of losing it. Moat therefore wanted to better understand the vast array of talent already present within the company and develop a programme that could better support individuals in their personal and professional growth.

The Solution

Moat, a housing organisation with over 350 employees, wanted to evolve the way they approached the development of future leaders within their business

The programme was targeted towards highly talented individuals at a variety of stages in their career, giving them the skillsets and behaviours required to take charge of their own personal growth and development.

To ensure the right candidates attended the programme, Moat devised a rigorous selection process. The added benefit of this was a confidence boost to those selected, even before the main programme had started. The programme itself was then split into four modules, all designed to help the individuals think, reflect, have discussions and really see whether leadership is the right path for them, and, if it is, how they can successfully follow that path.

Moat wanted something highly bespoke, so TLD explored their competency framework, dissected existing skillsets and job profiles, and designed something uniquely theirs. The final programme consisted of four half day sessions, each exploring a different aspect of leadership and professional growth, related to the Moat competencies.

The Training

Moat, a housing organisation with over 350 employees, wanted to evolve the way they approached the development of future leaders within their business

Designed in alignment with the organisation’s own competency and leadership framework, the four modules developed for the programme covered four distinct areas of development: The Leadership ‘Blueprint’, Owning Your Career, Keeping on Track and Impact of Brand. The first module, Leadership Blueprint, explored issues such as what is a leader, what/who makes a great leader, defining what effective leadership looks like within the context of Moat’s vision and values, and exploring individuals’ current skills, and skills gaps. The second module, Owning Your Career, focussed on enabling individuals to develop a roadmap for their own progression path, defining actions needed, timescales, and milestones of achievement. It also addressed how to not only identify, but actively create opportunities for growth. Following this was the third module, Keeping on Track, where individuals explored potential roadblocks, assessed personal motivators and detractors, career anchors and explored the idea of resilience and how to build this in themselves. The final module, Impact of Brand, encouraged individuals to explore their personal brand, and consider the impact it may have on those around them. This module included the use of the D.I.S.C profiling tool to help develop greater self-awareness, and advice on how to manage others’ perceptions.

The training included a range of different activities and events to help engage individuals more effectively and help embed the learning for long-term impact. This included the use of video diaries, extensive discussions, the use of profiling tools, and group activities. The diverse range of methods used was highly appreciated by those on the programme, offering a more interesting and entertaining way to explore these topics.

Outcomes

Moat, a housing organisation with over 350 employees, wanted to evolve the way they approached the development of future leaders within their business

The programme was developed in close partnership with relevant stakeholders within Moat, and several refinements were made during the process, ensuring that during its roll-out there were very few adjustments to make.

There have been many positive outcomes reported as a result of the sessions, with numerous individuals on the programme being promoted or offered secondment opportunities shortly after completion. The biggest changes have been marked increases in confidence and proactivity. Reports state that the programme has helped produce a team of excited, self-aware employees who are hungry to move up in the businesses, and have a clearer outline of what they are going to do next along with the self-belief to get there. The outcomes have been so encouraging that Moat continues to run the programme on an annual basis since its launch, and greater numbers of employees are now being encouraged to participate.

What Moat Said

Moat, a housing organisation with over 350 employees, wanted to evolve the way they approached the development of future leaders within their business

Feedback from delegates, HR and even the CEO has been extremely positive, as demonstrated by the comments below.

“When working with Thales on the course outline, our focus was developing our leaders of the future. We have certainly seen our aims achieved with many of the delegates applying for promotion, secondment or additional work on project groups. What hadn’t been envisaged at these initial design stages was the positive personal impact this would have on the participating individuals. Many have spoken of a confidence they didn’t know they had. The enthusiasm of the delegates is infectious with a number of longer serving employees now applying for a place on the programme with a renewed passion for learning and developing.

The application process is a personal challenge for many, and there is a sense of pride in their achievement when they start the programme. When finishing the programme it is clear to see the delegates feel they can personally achieve more than they had imagined.”

Maureen O’Sulliavn-Day, Head of HR Services.

We also had the opportunity to speak with Elizabeth Austerberry, Chief Executive at Moat and asked her for her thoughts on the programme:

How important do you see this programme?

“I see it as extremely important – it’s the course that I wish I had been on early in my career as it teaches you to understand yourself, your motivations and how to maximise your career contribution. It also fills a gap between our apprenticeship programme and Building Futures, which is for more senior Moatees.”

Why is it important?

“Although it’s a group course, it focuses on individuals, giving them the tools they need to build their career and hopefully to become leaders in the future. It’s called Building Foundations for a good reason – it underpins so many key attributes that we look for in our people – and it helps Moat build our future.”

What has been the impact of the programme?

“It has been fantastic! So many participants have been promoted within the organisation and we have seen them visibly grow in confidence and influence. When we look for volunteers, they are often the first to step forwards, bringing a real positive enthusiasm to Moat and its journey.”

What feedback have you had about the programme?

“It has exceeded my expectations. It has had benefits in terms of business outputs and culture. It has also meant that our people are better equipped to decide what they want from their careers, are better able to pick which roles will suit them best, which is clearly a win-win. Obviously there is the risk that you invest in people and they leave, but that is one that I am prepared to take. Those that have been on the programme and have left – and it’s a very small number – have moved because the course helped to clarify for them that housing was not their passion. A couple have gone to Australia and one has set up their own Yoga business!”

What other comments do you have on the programme?

“All good! We have refined the course each year – and this year we have expanded it to cater for a wider range of skills and experience. It has been an interactive process between ourselves and Thales L&D and I think it has worked really well. One of the highlights of my year is sitting in on the presentations that we ask people to do as part of the selection process. They can speak on any topic – we just want to see their passion and enthusiasm. Competition is so fierce and the ideas and execution of the sessions are so inventive. It makes me very proud of our people and our organisation!”

Background

Background

Moat, a housing organisation with over 350 employees, wanted to evolve the way they approached the development of future leaders within their business

A not-for-profit organisation, Moat is a housing association supporting those living in the South East of England to access affordable, high quality accommodation. They employ over 350 people and due to the broad spectrum of roles within the organisation, being able to offer a diverse and flexible L&D programme is essential to ensure their employees, and the business as a whole, are able to function to a high level. As holders of The Investors in People Award, people development opportunities are one of the things they prioritise highly.

The Problem

The Problem

Moat, a housing organisation with over 350 employees, wanted to evolve the way they approached the development of future leaders within their business

Despite having a well-established L&D programme for their staff, Moat were keen to develop the culture within the organisation and provide a clear progression path and ownership for staff to drive their own learning journey. One of the areas identified as a priority was how to support high potential individuals in their career development. Moat acknowledged that while there were plenty of L&D programmes aimed at developing people who are already managers, they were potentially neglecting the development of employees at the start of that journey. They were aware that there may be highly talented individuals who were keen to move forward, but perhaps felt unsure of how to do so. The organisation were concerned that unless that talent was better nurtured, there was a risk of losing it. Moat therefore wanted to better understand the vast array of talent already present within the company and develop a programme that could better support individuals in their personal and professional growth.

The Solution

The Solution

Moat, a housing organisation with over 350 employees, wanted to evolve the way they approached the development of future leaders within their business

The programme was targeted towards highly talented individuals at a variety of stages in their career, giving them the skillsets and behaviours required to take charge of their own personal growth and development.

To ensure the right candidates attended the programme, Moat devised a rigorous selection process. The added benefit of this was a confidence boost to those selected, even before the main programme had started. The programme itself was then split into four modules, all designed to help the individuals think, reflect, have discussions and really see whether leadership is the right path for them, and, if it is, how they can successfully follow that path.

Moat wanted something highly bespoke, so TLD explored their competency framework, dissected existing skillsets and job profiles, and designed something uniquely theirs. The final programme consisted of four half day sessions, each exploring a different aspect of leadership and professional growth, related to the Moat competencies.

The Training

The Training

Moat, a housing organisation with over 350 employees, wanted to evolve the way they approached the development of future leaders within their business

Designed in alignment with the organisation’s own competency and leadership framework, the four modules developed for the programme covered four distinct areas of development: The Leadership ‘Blueprint’, Owning Your Career, Keeping on Track and Impact of Brand. The first module, Leadership Blueprint, explored issues such as what is a leader, what/who makes a great leader, defining what effective leadership looks like within the context of Moat’s vision and values, and exploring individuals’ current skills, and skills gaps. The second module, Owning Your Career, focussed on enabling individuals to develop a roadmap for their own progression path, defining actions needed, timescales, and milestones of achievement. It also addressed how to not only identify, but actively create opportunities for growth. Following this was the third module, Keeping on Track, where individuals explored potential roadblocks, assessed personal motivators and detractors, career anchors and explored the idea of resilience and how to build this in themselves. The final module, Impact of Brand, encouraged individuals to explore their personal brand, and consider the impact it may have on those around them. This module included the use of the D.I.S.C profiling tool to help develop greater self-awareness, and advice on how to manage others’ perceptions.

The training included a range of different activities and events to help engage individuals more effectively and help embed the learning for long-term impact. This included the use of video diaries, extensive discussions, the use of profiling tools, and group activities. The diverse range of methods used was highly appreciated by those on the programme, offering a more interesting and entertaining way to explore these topics.

Outcomes

Outcomes

Moat, a housing organisation with over 350 employees, wanted to evolve the way they approached the development of future leaders within their business

The programme was developed in close partnership with relevant stakeholders within Moat, and several refinements were made during the process, ensuring that during its roll-out there were very few adjustments to make.

There have been many positive outcomes reported as a result of the sessions, with numerous individuals on the programme being promoted or offered secondment opportunities shortly after completion. The biggest changes have been marked increases in confidence and proactivity. Reports state that the programme has helped produce a team of excited, self-aware employees who are hungry to move up in the businesses, and have a clearer outline of what they are going to do next along with the self-belief to get there. The outcomes have been so encouraging that Moat continues to run the programme on an annual basis since its launch, and greater numbers of employees are now being encouraged to participate.

What Moat Said

What Moat Said

Moat, a housing organisation with over 350 employees, wanted to evolve the way they approached the development of future leaders within their business

Feedback from delegates, HR and even the CEO has been extremely positive, as demonstrated by the comments below.

“When working with Thales on the course outline, our focus was developing our leaders of the future. We have certainly seen our aims achieved with many of the delegates applying for promotion, secondment or additional work on project groups. What hadn’t been envisaged at these initial design stages was the positive personal impact this would have on the participating individuals. Many have spoken of a confidence they didn’t know they had. The enthusiasm of the delegates is infectious with a number of longer serving employees now applying for a place on the programme with a renewed passion for learning and developing.

The application process is a personal challenge for many, and there is a sense of pride in their achievement when they start the programme. When finishing the programme it is clear to see the delegates feel they can personally achieve more than they had imagined.”

Maureen O’Sulliavn-Day, Head of HR Services.

We also had the opportunity to speak with Elizabeth Austerberry, Chief Executive at Moat and asked her for her thoughts on the programme:

How important do you see this programme?

“I see it as extremely important – it’s the course that I wish I had been on early in my career as it teaches you to understand yourself, your motivations and how to maximise your career contribution. It also fills a gap between our apprenticeship programme and Building Futures, which is for more senior Moatees.”

Why is it important?

“Although it’s a group course, it focuses on individuals, giving them the tools they need to build their career and hopefully to become leaders in the future. It’s called Building Foundations for a good reason – it underpins so many key attributes that we look for in our people – and it helps Moat build our future.”

What has been the impact of the programme?

“It has been fantastic! So many participants have been promoted within the organisation and we have seen them visibly grow in confidence and influence. When we look for volunteers, they are often the first to step forwards, bringing a real positive enthusiasm to Moat and its journey.”

What feedback have you had about the programme?

“It has exceeded my expectations. It has had benefits in terms of business outputs and culture. It has also meant that our people are better equipped to decide what they want from their careers, are better able to pick which roles will suit them best, which is clearly a win-win. Obviously there is the risk that you invest in people and they leave, but that is one that I am prepared to take. Those that have been on the programme and have left – and it’s a very small number – have moved because the course helped to clarify for them that housing was not their passion. A couple have gone to Australia and one has set up their own Yoga business!”

What other comments do you have on the programme?

“All good! We have refined the course each year – and this year we have expanded it to cater for a wider range of skills and experience. It has been an interactive process between ourselves and Thales L&D and I think it has worked really well. One of the highlights of my year is sitting in on the presentations that we ask people to do as part of the selection process. They can speak on any topic – we just want to see their passion and enthusiasm. Competition is so fierce and the ideas and execution of the sessions are so inventive. It makes me very proud of our people and our organisation!”